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The Minority Report: An in-depth look at the Nats’ Minor League system

The Nationals Minor League report (MLR 6-30-10.pdf) is a weekly window into the Nationals farm teams, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.

This Week’s Top Headline

HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR!: The Harrisburg Senators, in conjunction with the Double-A Eastern League, yesterday announced the rosters for the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game being played on Wednesday, July 14 at Metro Bank Park in Harrisburg, PA. The Senators had six players selected: SS Danny Espinosa, 1B Chris Marrero, RHP Rafael Martin, INF Michael Martinez, LHP Tom Milone and C Jhonatan Solano. Additionally, Harrisburg Manager Randy Knorr and his staff will lead the Western Division squad.

Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs

International League North Division

45-35, 2nd Place, 0.5 Game Behind

THE JOSHUA TREE: RHP Josh Wilkie, who played collegiately at nearby George Washington University, has allowed just one earned run in 12.0 innings (0.75 ERA) in 10 June appearances. He’s fanned 13 and walked only two in that span. Wilkie owns a 1.67 ERA in 28 appearances overall. The 25-year-old has limited opponents to a team-best .194 (25-for-129) batting average against. Wilkie signed with the club as a non-drafted free agent on June 14, 2006.

ATA(HUALPA) BOY: In 10 appearances beginning May 31, LHP Atahualpa Severino has tossed 13.1 consecutive scoreless innings. Overall, Severino is 3-0 with a 2.68 ERA in 29 appearances. Severino, 25, signed as a non-drafted free agent on February 13, 2004.

TAKING IT TO THE MAX: OF Justin Maxwell is batting .300 (30-for-100) with four doubles, three homers, 10 RBI, five stolen bases and 12 walks in 29 games during June. Maxwell hit .121 with one homer and three RBI in 21 games at the Big League level this season with Washington before being optioned to Syracuse on April 28.

Double-A Harrisburg Senators

Eastern League Western Division

38-40, 3rd Place, 11.5 Games Behind

JOHNNY ON THE SPOT: LHP John Lannan allowed just four hits in 7.0 innings of one-run ball in his first start with the Senators. Lannan, Washington’s Opening Day starter this season, was optioned to Harrisburg on June 21 after going 2-5 with a 5.76 ERA in 14 starts with the Nationals. Lannan is scheduled to make his second Double-A start, tonight at Portland (Red Sox).

UH-OH, HERE COMES MARRERO: 1B Chris Marrero has hit safely in 34 of his last 42 games, batting at a .341 (56-for-164) clip with eight doubles, eight homers and 26 RBI. The right-handed hitting slugger has reached base safely via hit (56), walk (12) or HBP (1) 69 times (1.61 times per contest) during that stretch. He is 37-for-101 (.366) in 27 games during the month of June. In 78 games this season, Marrero is hitting .290 with 14 doubles, 11 home runs and 43 RBI. The 21-year-old was the Nationals’ top selection (15th overall) in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

CLEAN COLE:RHP Cole Kimball is a combined 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA in 31 appearances with Harrisburg and Potomac of the Single-A Carolina League. He’s offered scoreless relief in 25 of his 31 games. Since being promoted to Harrisburg on May 27, Kimball is 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA (3 ER/20.0 IP) and a .143 BAA (10-for-70) in 12 appearances. The 24-year-old began the season with Potomac, where he went 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA (5 ER/24.2 IP) in 19 appearances. Kimball was Washington’s 12th-round pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Centenary College (NJ).

Single-A Potomac Nationals

Carolina League Northern Division

First Half – 31-39, 3rd Place, 10.0 Games Behind

Second Half – 2-3, 4th Place, 1.5 Games Behind

SHOWING HIS FEATHERS: RHP Brad Peacock‘s 101 strikeouts lead the Carolina League and rank fifth in Minor League baseball. With 101 strikeouts and just 20 walks in 81.0 innings pitched, Peacock has posted a 5.0/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 11.22 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. Peacock is scheduled to toe the rubber tonight at Winston-Salem (White Sox). The 22-year-old was drafted by Washington in the 41st round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

EVEN STEPHEN: 2B Stephen Lombardozzi ranks second in the CL in runs scored (54), triples (7) and walks (40). He also ranks among the league leaders in hits (7th, 84), stolen bases (7th, 15) and OBP (7th, .385). The 2009 mid-season Single-A South Atlantic League All-Star finished second in the SAL in both runs scored (90) and hits (147) last season. Lombardozzi was a 19th-round pick in the 2008 Draft out of St. Petersburg JC (FL).

Single-A Hagerstown Suns

South Atlantic League Northern Division

First Half – 36-34, 3rd Place, 6.0 Games Behind

Second Half – 2-4, 5th Place, 3.0 Games Behind

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES: In his last nine starts, LHP Dan Rosenbaum owns a 1.94 ERA (11 ER/51.0 IP). Despite his 2.14 ERA in 15 starts overall, Rosenbaum hasn’t earned a win since his season debut on April 8. Among South Atlantic League pitchers, he is sixth in ERA. Earlier this month, the southpaw was named a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. In addition to the All-Star selection, he was the MiLB.com SAL Pitcher of the Week for the period of May 10-16. Rosenbaum was selected in the 22nd round of the 2009 Draft out of Xavier University (OH).

JUSTIFIED:1B Justin Bloxom continues to be one of the SAL’s best offensive players, as he ranks among the top five SAL batters in hits (2nd, 95), total bases (2nd, 146), batting average (3rd, .322), doubles (3rd, 25), runs scored (4th, 50) and RBI (5th, 51). Bloxom, a 2010 SAL mid-season All-Star selection, has posted an organization-best 26 multi-hit games. The 22-year-old Kansas State University product was Washington’s 11th-choice in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

CLEGGO MY EGGO: LHP Mitchell Clegg, who began the season pitching in relief, is 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 15 games (8 starts). Since moving to the starting rotation on May 12, he is 5-1 with a 1.37 ERA (7 ER/46.0 IP) in eight starts. The 23-year-old has allowed one earned run or less in seven of those eight (87%) starting assignments. In four June outings, he is 2-1 with a miniscule 0.38 ERA (1 ER/24.0 IP). Clegg, a 2009 New York-Penn League All-Star, was selected in the 21st round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

Short-Season Single-A Vermont Lake Monsters

New York-Penn League Stedler Division

9-3, 1st Place, 2.0 Games Ahead

SWYN MOVE:RHP Matt Swynenberg has allowed just one earned run in 10.0 innings (0.90 ERA) in his first two starts of the 2010 campaign. In his season debut, he fired 5.0 shutout innings on one-hit ball to earn the win against Lowell (Red Sox). Swynenberg was selected by the Nationals in the 28th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

BLAKE IS LIVELY:SS Blake Kelso, selected in the 10th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, is hitting .357 with two doubles and three RBI in eight contests. The University of Houston product has hit safely in five of the last six games.

JORDAN BRAND:RHP Taylor Jordan, 21, is 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three starts this season. He’s fanned 14 and walked three (4.6/1 SO/BB ratio). The Merritt Island, FL native was drafted by Washington in the 9th round of the ’09 Draft.

BOBBY’S WORLD: In 10.1 innings (3 games, 2 starts), LHP Bobby Hansen has 17 strikeouts against 0 walks. His strikeout total is second-best in the league, and he’s averaging 15.1 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. Hansen was selected by the Nationals out of Lewis-Palmer High School (CO) in the 18th round of the 2008 Draft.

Gulf Coast League Nationals

Gulf Coast League East Division

2-6, 5th Place, 3.5 Games Behind

MANNO MAN: In three appearances to start the season, LHP Christopher Manno has allowed just one unearned run on two hits while striking out 10 batters in 4.2 innings. Manno, 21, paces all GCL hurlers with an average of 19.29 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. The Duke University product was a 26th-round pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

CRAZY EIGHT:SS Adrian Sanchez has opened the 2010 GCL season with an eight-game hitting streak. His 14 hits pace the GCL, while his .424 batting average ranks fourth. Sanchez has collected three doubles, one home run, three RBI and eight runs. Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, the switch-hitting shortstop was signed by the Nationals as a non-drafted free agent prior to the 2007 season.

OLIVER’S TWIST: 1B Tyler Oliver has hit safely in 5 of 7 GCL games, with 3 multi-hit efforts in those contests. Overall, he is 8-for-22 (.364) with two doubles, five RBI, and three runs scored to begin his pro career. Selected in the 35th round in 2010 out of Wabash Valley Community College (IL), Oliver led all Warriors in hitting in 2010 with a .456 average (88-for-193), 19 doubles, 30 home runs and 103 RBI.

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